


High Speed, Low Drag

by raidelle



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-12 17:45:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17472077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raidelle/pseuds/raidelle
Summary: Aranea Highwind is a regular and high-paying customer of Crowe's humble detailing and customization shop. How long can she resist her client's flirtations? (Hint: Not that long.)





	High Speed, Low Drag

**Author's Note:**

  * For [stopmopingstarthoping](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stopmopingstarthoping/gifts).



> Special thanks to Hope for giving this a quick read-through. Consider this your belated birthday gift! :)

One of the first things that Crowe realized about Aranea Highwind -- Eos-renowned motorcycle enthusiast and one of her most frequent and highest-paying clients -- was that the woman didn't know how to walk. Aranea Highwind strode, each sweep of her boot-clad feet sure and strong and laced with her own brand of powerful grace. It made her seem taller than her five feet and five inches.

It made everyone take notice. And Crowe definitely took notice. 

When she entered Crowe's workshop that day, Aranea strode in with her usual alluring boldness. Her footsteps were drowned slightly by the whir of the airbrush but her voice floated clearly over the din. “How's my girl?” 

Crowe looked up from the bike she was currently working on, gave Aranea a cursory nod in greeting, then jerked her head toward the gleaming black-and-silver motorcycle behind her. “See for yourself,” Crowe said. She let her eyes linger on the sleek lines of Aranea's back and leather-encased legs before returning her attention to painting.

“Yeah, I know my baby's in good hands. Always is. But I was talking about you.”

Crowe's eyebrows shot up at that. “Excuse me?” She clicked the airbrush off, then pushed up her goggles and turned to face Aranea. 

The silver-haired woman was leaning casually on her bike, a grin playing on her lips. It honestly shouldn't have been as attractive as it was, but Crowe is biased so the pose _was_ undeniably, unfairly attractive.

“How're you doing, Crowe?” 

“ _Your_ girl?”

Aranea just winked, and Crowe thanked Shiva for the smudges of red paint on her cheeks that hid her blush.

“Astrals, you're impossible!” Crowe shook her head, but a small smile forced its way out all the same.

The barely suppressed smile only made Aranea's grin grow bigger. Her teeth flashed with an almost predatory gleam. “I know,” she said. “So?” She raised her eyebrows in lieu of repeating her question. 

“I'm fine, Aranea,” Crowe grumbled half-heartedly. “Will you be taking the bike out today?”

“I'd much rather take _you_ out.”

Gods, this woman and her relentlessness. It made Crowe want to scream in frustration and kiss the ever-loving shit out of her. “Aranea.” She said the name around a frustrated sigh. “You know I don't --”

“Date clients, yeah,” Aranea shrugged. “You're stricter than my lawyer and my doctor combined, you know that?”

“Those are my boundaries. I have to keep my life from being a complete mess somehow.” She waved the airbrush gun around to make her point.

Aranea pinned her with a steely green gaze, and it made Crowe want to squirm. She held her ground, though, until Aranea finally blew a sigh. 

“Okay, here's what we'll do. This will be my last project with you.” She patted her beloved bike before she continued. “After I roll out of this workshop, it’ll be the last you’ll see of me as a client. That work with you?”

“You’re kidding, right?” She won’t exactly go under, but Crowe had to admit that Aranea’s name and money was a huge factor behind her modest business success. On the other hand, well… she’d wanted Aranea since the very first moment she strode through her workshop’s doors.

“No,” Aranea said simply.

“So you're just gonna take your beloved babies to other shops?” Crowe began custom-painting bikes and motorcycles as a hobby but the more she did it, the more she realized she was good enough to make money off it. With the urging and the all-out support of her closest friends (which meant just Lib, and Ignis and Nyx), she'd slowly expanded over the years. Now Altius Customs is a full-service custom and detailing shop with a stellar reputation. “Just like that?” 

“If that's what it takes to get you to go out with me, then sure. Just like that.” Aranea shrugged and pursed her lips.

“Huh.” Crowe huffed a breath that ruffled the strands of hair that had escaped her haphazard top bun. She had to look away from Aranea, because her eyes kept drifting down to the red-painted mouth. “Well if you do that, you're going to make me lose a huge chunk of my monthly income. Might even make me close down after a while. Do you want that on your conscience?”

“Don't give me that crap, it won’t work,” Aranea said with a scoff. “And you know as well as I do that your business can last without _my_ business.”

Crowe felt a hot surge of pride bloom in her chest. _Yeah, that’s right,_ she wanted to say. _This is my baby, built from the ground up._ With a sigh, she finally relented. “Okay, fine. I give.”

“Yeah?” Aranea smiled, slow and sultry and good Astrals, it was all Crowe could do to not just grab the collar of that leather jacket and give that plush mouth a taste.

“Yeah,” Crowe confirmed with a nod. “Ifrit knows I’ve had enough of your flirting without being able to do anything about it.”

Aranea laughed, low and husky, and it sent a thrill through her. “I knew I was going to wear you down eventually,” she said.

“Hey, I’m not letting you off the hook that easily!” Crowe said. “I’m losing you as a client for choosing your gorgeous butt. You gotta make it up to me!”

“My gorgeous butt, huh?” Aranea’s shot her eyebrow up, quick as a snake strike, then winked.

Crowe really should kiss her nice and deep to shut her up. “Yes. So your shapely, gorgeous butt has got to make it up to me.”

“Oh, I can think of a _lot_ of ways to make it up to you,” Aranea laughed her sultry laugh again. “But I can start with something that’s more in the line of what you’re thinking. How’s your schedule this Saturday?”

Crowe shrugged. “You know I’m closed on Saturdays.”

“So you’re free, then? No dates or anything?”

Was that the barest hint of jealousy in Aranea’s voice? She was all boldness and cool self-assurance and while Crowe didn’t lack confidence, she’d always felt like Aranea’s presence consumed her. She was loathe to admit it, but that bit of carefully concealed jealousy helped bolster her assertiveness.

“Not really. I mean, my best friends invited my single ass over for lunch but I can always cancel. They’ll understand.” She had a standing invitation to lunch over at Ignis and Nyx’s every Saturday. Since they’d made the offer about a year ago, she’d missed only two occasions, both times when she was sick and could barely get out of bed so Ignis and Nyx brought lunch over to her instead.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bitch and --”

“I’m sure.”

“Okay then. I’ll pick you up Saturday. Is ten okay with you?” Aranea swung her leg over her bike and slipped on her helmet without waiting for an answer.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll text you my address,” Crowe said just as Aranea flipped down the visor.

Aranea gave her a two-fingered salute and revved her motorcycle out of the shop.

Crowe grinned and shook her head. She had a feeling that she’s going to miss more Saturday lunches all too soon.

**Author's Note:**

> Say hello to me on
> 
> Tumblr: @raidelle  
> Discord: @raidelle#3573


End file.
